Lower costs will spur investor value

Article Excerpt

ANDREW PELLER LTD. (A shares) is still a buy. The company (Toronto symbols ADW.A $7.98 and ADW.B $8.00; Income Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 44.2 million; Market cap: $352.7 million; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 1.8%; www.andrewpeller.com) is Canada’s second-largest wine producer, after Arterra Wines. In its fiscal 2020 third quarter, ended December 31, 2019, Peller’s sales dipped 1.5%, to $101.6 million from $103.2 million a year earlier. Thar decline is mainly due to stronger competition from cheaper, imported wines and weaker demand in Western Canada. Despite the lower sales, Peller continues to improve its efficiency with a new computerized information system. As a result of those investments, its earnings in the quarter were unchanged at $0.18 a share. As well, thanks to Peller’s cost controls, its gross margin (gross profits divided by sales) improved to 41.3% in the latest quarter from 40.8% a year earlier. That bodes well for your long-term gains. gains…